Miami Heat veteran point guard Goran Dragic had been the starter in each of his first three years in South Beach. While injuries limited Dragic to 36 games last season, he still started in 22 of those contests.
With that said, Dragic was a little hesitant when it became clear he would come off the bench for the Heat during the 2019-20 season.
The 33-year-old said that while he is happy now, his competitive drive led to some “crazy thoughts.”
“I am happy,” Goran Dragic said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “I am enjoying the game. At the start of the season, it was tough to accept that. I’m a competitive guy. Of course, when you get the news, you have some doubts, some crazy thoughts. But the main thing was for me to accept it and think positively and make it the best scenario for me. I did that. I’m proud of myself.”
In reality, Dragic has done some of his best work in a Heat uniform as the sixth man. He is averaging 16.1 points, 5.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds while shooting close to 38 percent from beyond the arc on 5.8 attempts per game.
Additionally, the Slovenian guard actually has the same usage rate (25.7 percent) as he did during his 2017-18 season when he made the All-Star team.
Jackson also reported the Heat are preparing to offer Dragic — who is currently on an expiring contract — a one-year contract in the range of $19 million. But Dragic is currently unsure of his feelings with respect to playing on another expiring deal.
Regardless, Dragic has found his groove coming off the bench for the Heat.
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